US1444921A - Slush remover - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, 1923. 1,444,921

G.D.HUNTER SLUSH REMOVER Filed Oct. 51, 1919 Witness 7 K x?! 72 e Patented Feb. 113, 1923.

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stares A NT SL'USH REMOVER.

Application filed October 31, 1919. Serial No. 334,893.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomin ton, in the county of Monroe and State of Tndiana, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Slush Removers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in slush removing devices, particularly adapted for use in stone quarries and the like.

Heretofore, when using sluch removing devices it has been necessary to constantly dilute the slush with an excessive quantlty of water to prevent the same from agglomerating and place it in such a thin state as to enable it to be discharged.

The use of this excessive supply of water naturally results in a material waste of time inasmuch as all liquid injected into slush must be removed and the services of an attendant, are constantly needed to enable the devices to be operated. For these reasons the prior art devices have not been considered successful primarily because of the unnecessary waste of time and the cost of operation.

The present invention comprises a slush removing device of thefluid lift type having means for permitting the slush to be constantly disturbed or agitated wlnle being removed to maintain the same in such a conditions as to be carried by the lifting current from the quarry. p

In carrying out the invention the slush removing device has disposed therein near the slush intake, a small jet opening permitting a relatively immaterial quantlty of the fluid lifting strealr passing therethrou h under pressure to escape and agitate e slush to prevent the same from thlckening ing. y disturbing the slush in this manner the same is always maintained relatively thin and the lifting action of the fluid current constantly creates the necessary suction to cause the slush to be picked up and entrained therein and carried to a point of discharge.

From a more specific aspect the invention comprehends a device of this general character, of substantially U-shaped formation having a fluid inlet pipe and a slush discharge pipe. The fluid inlet pipe at its lower end is formed with a restricted opening and is spaced from the slush discharge pipe to provide the necesary slush. openor agglomerating around the intake open-.

ing at the lower portion of the device for the entrance of the slush to the discharge p1pe. In close proximity to the slush discharge opening there is disposed within the fluid feeding pipe a relatively small vent to enable a small quantity of the fiuidunder pressure to constantly escape and thoroughly agitate the slush at or around the slash discharge opening, so as to prevent the same from thickening. In the accompanying drawings I have disclosed a single embodiment of the invention, but this disclosure is merely made for the purpose of illustration and the construction may be modified in many respects without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation with a portion of the device broken away. Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and Figure 3 1s a view on the line 3--3 of Fi re 1.

eferring now more particularly to the drawmgs, wherein like reference characters indlcate corresponding parts, the numeral 1 designates the slush device, having the steam inlet pipe 2 formed at its upper end with a threaded portion 8 adapted to receive the coupling 4, by which the steam pipe 5 leading from any suitable source of supply is united with the pipe 2. While steam is preferably injected through the pipe 2 it will be understood that other fluid currents may be employed, such as air or the like. The couplin' 4 is oppositely threaded at each end so t at [upon a rotation thereof the pipes 2 and 5 are firmly united to each other. The steam. pipe 2 has a substantially straight porton and at its lower end is curved to form a hooked part 6. The extreme outer end of the pipe 2 is provided with a restricted steam discharge opening 7 which acts on the principle of the usual venturi for increasing velocity of the steam passing therethrough.

Extending parallel to the straight portionof the pipe 2 is the slush discharge conduit 8 preferably of a greater cross sectional area than the pipe 2 but reduced at its lower end by the insertion of the liner 9 extending from the mouth of this conduit to a point approximately near its center. It will be observed that the mouth of the conduit 8 is beveled, as indicated by the reference character 10, and the same is spaced a slight distance from the restricted end portion of the hooked end 6 of the pipe 2. This is to provide an inlet for the slush that is carried into the conduit 8 by the suction created due to the rapid passage of the fluid current under ressure through the pipes 2 and 8. the entlre device acting on the principle of the well known lift pump.

The steam feeding pipe 2 and the slush discharge conduit 8 are held in their pro er relative positions by the webs 11, two being shown for the purpose of illustration, but manifestly any desired number may be used. These webs are welded or secured in any a proved manner to each of the pipes and aPwa s maintain them in a set positlon. It will e understood that the present device is rimarily intended for removing slush rom stone uarries and the like, and the consistency 0 this slush varies. If the slush is of a very thickened nature the fluid stream passing through lthe device will not pick the same up and carry it to a point of discharge. It is therefore, entirely essential to the success ul operation of the device that a means be employed to always maintain the slush in such a thin state as to insure a rapid discharge of the same when the apparatus is in operation. It has been the general custom in the use of the prior art slush removers to continually agitate this slush by hand lafter an appreciable quantity of water has been injected thereto to keep the slush from agglomerating. This manifestly requires much laborand is an expensive operation that has heretofore been necessary with all of the existing forms of removers. It is a primary object of this invention to provide a device wherein the fluid current not only acts to eject the slush, but also serves to agitate or disturb the same at or near the entrance of the discharge conduit to prevent a thickening of the slush. With this conception in mind there is disposed within the hooked end 6 of the feed ipe 2 a small vent opening 12 through whic a ortion of the steam travelling at a high ve ocity through the ipe 2 passes, which steam, issues into the body of slush located at the lower end of the device and constantly agitates the same so -as to prevent the slush from thickening. When the slush is in a thin state and steam introduced to the pipe 2, the passage of steam through the restricted opening 7 and into the mouth of the conduit 10 creates a suction that lifts the relatively thin slush into the moving steam current from where it is carried through the discharge pipe 13 connected with the conduit 8, to a suitable point of discharge.

To assist in preventin a thickening of the slush there is also attac ed to the conduit 8 near its mouth portion a striking piece 14, that extends between the conduit 8 and the feed pipe 2. This striking piece, in conjunction with the issuing steam passing through the vent opening, always prevents an improper thickening of the slush material that is to bemoved and overcomes the necessity of introducing a thinning agent thereto or stirring the same with an auxilary stirrer.

Should the occasion ever arise when the slush is of an exceedingly thin nature and does not contain many solid particles, then the vent opening 12 may be plugged or closed by a suitable cap 15, so as to prevent the escape of any of the steam. As a general thing, however, in stone quarries where a key block has been cut and the slush device introduced thereto, tlie'slush is of a rather thick nature and to insure the successful operation of the device it is neces- 'sary that the vent be open to allow the escape of the steam.

While the invention is primarily designed for use in connection with stone quarries, its field of application is nevertheless unlimited and it is capable of use wherever an article of this kind may be needed.

Having descrlbed the parts of the invention, the operation may be briefly recited as to follows:

The steam supply pipe 5 is coupled to the feed pipe 2 by means of the coupling 4 and the device inserted within a body of slush. Steam or a like fluid pressure is then introduced to the ipe 2 under pressure, paming rapidly theret rough around the hooked end portion 6 and into the slush conduit 8. During the passage of the steam through the pipe 2 a portion thereof escapes through the small vent opening 6 and together with the striking bar 14 thoroughly a itates and prevents a thickening of the slush. The relatively thin slush is then picked up by the suction created by the radially moving steam and carried in suspension in the steam through the conduit 8 and discharge pipe 13 to a slush receiver or any other point of discharge. As has been pointed out, the restricted opening in the end of the feed pipe 6 no causes the fluid current to travel at a very high velocity and creates a material suction at the feed opening 10 disposed between the mouth of the slush discharge pipe 8 and the end of the feed pipe 2. I

What ll claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a feed pipe through which fluid under pressure passes and means for introducing the fluid thereto, said pipe having a ma curved lower edge and a restricted discharge opening, a disharge conduit having its mouth located adjacent the discharge opening inthe feed pipe and into which the fluid current passing through the feed pipe disn25 charges to create a suction at the mouth of the discharge conduit, and means permitting a portion of the fluid current passing through the feed pipe to escape near the mouth of the discharge conduit to agitate nae meaeal the material around the mouth of the conduit to prevent thickening thereof, and a striking bar carried by the discharge conduit and extending at right angles thereto.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a fluid feed pipe havin an opening therein, a discharge conduit having its mouth portion spaced from the discharge end of the feed pipe to form a feed inlet, discharging means in the feed pipe near the mouth piece of the discharge conduit to permit the escape of a portion of the fluid passing through the feed pipe, and means carried by the device located in the path of the discharging fluid for deflecting the same to agitate material adjacent the mouth piece.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a fluid feed pipe havin an opening therein, a discharge conduit having its mouth portion spaced from the discharge end of the feed pipe to form a feed inlet, discharging means in the feed pipe near the mouth piece of the discharge conduit to permit the escape of a portion of the fluid passing through the feed pipe, and means carried by the device located in the path of the discharging fluid for deflecting the same to agitate material adjacent the mouth piece, said means comprisin an outstanding element carried by the dischar e conduit.

In testimony whereof I a x my si ature.

GEORGE D. HUN ER.

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